A Short History of the Scriptures

Week 1: Revelation and Inspiration

Week 2: Overview of the Development of the
Bible
Week 3: The WORD and the Hebrew Bible
Week 4: Septuagint and Talmud
Week 5: Christ and the Second Testament
Week 6: The Developing Bible
Week 7: The Reformation and Historical
Criticism
Week 8: What Does it All Mean?
For Week 2: Handout
For Week 3: Pelikan: Intro, Ch. 1 & 2
For Week 4: Pelikan: Ch. 3 & 4
For Week 5: Pelikan: Ch. 5 & 6
For Week 6: Pelikan: Ch. 7 & 8
For Week 7: Pelikan: Ch. 9 & 10
For Week 8: Pelikan: Ch. 11, 12 & Afterword
Do you have a study Bible?
Does it have “introductions” to each book of
the Bible?
Read introductions which correspond to
Pelikan’s chapters. Meditate upon at least one
scriptural text with which you are unfamiliar.
 Each week there’s 20-50 pages to read.

Should take you 1-2 hours at the most.

Mark in your books, write down questions!

It’s going to be unfamiliar, but don’t be

daunted.

When you study and read scripture, you will

be amazed.
Read the assignment and scripture for that
week.

Email me and I will send you the power point

file for the lesson you missed.

Email me if you want an audio file of the

discussion.
What IS it?
Write down your own understanding of what the
Bible IS.

I know, this sounds pretty basic! It is!

Write down your ideas of what the Bible is (or
should be) FOR?

Purpose? Use?
Scripture Tradition
Sola Scriptura !!!
Scripture Tradition

Reason Experience
 Holy Spirit

Scripture Tradition
NOTE HOW SCRIPTURE IS
IN ALL OF THESE
TRADITIONAL AND
HISTORICAL MODELS OF
REVELATION
Write down your ideas about how the Bible is
inspired.

How might this have happened?

 Automatic Writing
Dictation Theory
Verbal Plenary Inspiration
Illuminated by Holy Spirit
Inspired and Thoroughly Human
Devotional text
Religious Classic
How much was directly from God?

How much was distinctly human?

How would we know?

The human author becomes possessed by God and loses
consciousness of self, surrendering to the divine
spirit and its communicatory powers.
The Holy Spirit predetermined each word that the
authors wrote. The authors were thus performing
the function of secretary.
The authors expressed their thoughts in their own style
and words, while the Holy Spirit only intervened as
needed, in order to keep them from making mistakes.
Authors inspired by Spirit so their normal powers of
observation and writing were heightened. Called
‘inspiration by illumination’.

Not inerrant.
‘Both-and’ in the way of the incarnation of Christ.
Fully human and fully divine.

A largest percent of Presbyterians (48%) opted for

this choice of their view of inspiration in a poll
done in the 1980s
Portions of the Bible, including some of its theological
and ethical positions, may not be the inspired word
of God.

Examples: Slavery, Levitical Laws, Women Silent in

Church
The Bible speaks only to individual salvation and
private piety . It is to be used for my own private
devotions only.
 The view that the Bible is “great literature”: no
more, no less.

Not inspired, not inerrant.

 Automatic Writing
Dictation Theory
Verbal Plenary Inspiration
Illuminated by Holy Spirit
Inspired and Thoroughly Human
Devotional text
Religious Classic
All of these focus upon the AUTHORSHIP of the
Bible.

Paradigm shift in the 1960s to Scripture

as normative witness to Christ.

The Bible is a MEANS rather than the END, of the

process of inspiration.
A focus NOT on Facts
But on WITNESS
And on Christ,
The Living WORD.
Week 2: Overview of the Development of the
Bible

For Week 2: Handout

Who Else Needs a Book?